Scratch

[Bruins]

A local feed store is having a sale . A 50 # bag of purina scratch for $1.50 .
This sounds like it is too good to be true ?
Is this a really bad brand / ingredients to feed ? All I see under ingredients is cracked corn , milo & oats.

Is it not a great treat but great only because of the price ?

 

[Kelsie2290]

At $1.50??? as long as it is in good condition, I'd sure grab it. The main problem with scratch is that it is lower protein, and if you are feeding only a complete feed you will mess up your nutrition totals if you feed too much of it (why they say only to add 10-15% to the diet). You could always mix it with game bird feed or a chick starter to bring the total protein up higher.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm sure if you check the packaging date it's probably getting old.
It's probably OK but any ground or cracked seed will lose nutrients faster.
Good feed stores will put food products on sale to clear out the stock before it isn't worth feeding.
Bad ones, like my local one will carry stuff at its full price no matter how long they had it.
I was going to buy some vitamin/electrolyte powder from them and noticed it had expired by 2 years. I told them about it. That was 2 years ago and the same stuff is sitting on the shelf.
This area doesn't have many people raising chicks, just layers. Their layer feed is usually fresh but their starter/grower can sometimes be close to a year old.

I check the manufacture date on all feed.

I'm with kelsie though, that price is hard to beat.

 

[lazy gardener]

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Check the date on the end of the bag. Any time my local TSC is selling feed at a discount, the grain has been sitting around for months. By then, the nutrient of it, unless it's ALL 100% whole (not cracked) grains, will be leached out of it, and it may even be rancid. Other times, when I've seen grain/seed products marked down at other locations, it's been insect infested. Not a bargain at all IMO.

 

[RonP]

Treat it like scratch and feed it in moderation.

Even if the nutrient value is lessened, it won't matter much.

 

[farmboss]

What should one feed chickens
Laying mash for eggs
And what is good for feather growth and health

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A balanced feed is simplest and cheapest for everything, growth and health.
Layer feed doesn't cause egg production, the 4% calcium contained replaces that lost in the medullary bone when a hen builds an egg shell.
A high protein starter feed for the first few weeks, a grower feed for maturing and when lay commences, layer feed. Grit sized for their age and as they mature, oyster shell in a separate container.

 

[farmboss]

So when they are old enough to lay you feed them laying feed and grit and oyster shell and of course ours also free range and that should be good is that what your saying

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That's best, unless you consider yourself a poultry nutritionist and want to go through the trouble and expense to make your own. The proper ratios of energy, fat, vitamins, minerals and amino acids are already in there.
Starter and grower feeds are formulated to provide what they need for growth.
Scratch/treats should be under 10% of total intake.

Some people don't do it but I provide grit for all ages, even those that free range. #1 for chicks, #2 for adolescents and #3 for birds over 7 or 8 weeks.
http://www.tccmaterials.com/pdf/CSgritdata.pdf

The oyster shell should be available once they start to lay or around 18+ weeks.
http://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/types-of-poultry-grit

 

[farmboss]

Sounds good
I was just curious because the last chickens we had seemed to have a hard time feathering back after they molted